While reviewing Suggested Edits I noticed this user deleting the java tag from many questions tagged android and java, with the edit message including "android != java". For example, this question.

While it's logically true that android is not equal to java, I question the usefulness of these edits since Java is commonly used for writing code for the Android platform, and in my opinion questions about writing Java code for the Android platform can be tagged with both tags.

I rejected such edits as "invalid" myself. However, many of them were eventually approved in the review process so apparently there's also enough people or robo-reviewers to think otherwise.

Therefore, seeking community consensus on whether such edits are acceptable, and what (if anything) should be done.

I would've rejected them too. I'd also go back and revert all those edits, but I don't want to be the one to do it unilaterally.
–
MysticialMay 13 '14 at 6:43

4

Please be aware that there are some questions which are about android-specific problems and have nothing to do with java.
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ManuMay 13 '14 at 6:50

15

"android != "java" is exactly why there should be two distinct tags, and where both apply the question should have both tags. Where only one applies, the question should have only one tag.
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BenMay 13 '14 at 21:52

Look entirely appropriate to me. Anybody that knows Android also knows Java and using the tag is superfluous. Because anybody that knows Java does not know Android. It is a troubled tag with a very poor answer rate (over 60% unanswered lately), may well drive Java fans pretty nutty.
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Hans PassantMay 14 '14 at 2:52

@HansPassant Why would everybody who know Android also know Java? Or was that sarcasm?
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hydeMay 14 '14 at 7:11

@HansPassant Android issues doesn't necessarily mean java issues. There are tools that you can build an app with without any knowledge of java at all. Also, some issues are related to xml or project set up neither of which would deserve a java tag.
–
indivisibleMay 18 '14 at 14:03

2 Answers
2

Sometimes the question can be answered by someone who doesn't know Android but familiar with Java, for example an Android code that has == instead of equals when comparing Strings.

I don't think having these two tags in the same question is a bad idea since this will attract more attention from users who can actually solve the problem..

On the other hand, sometimes the question has nothing to do with Java, for example question about "adb devices doesn't show my device". It make sense to tag it with android, but java is irrelevant here.

First, 15% of android questions are also tagged java. The practice is not rare, but it's also not the most common.

I stumble such a question yesterday. I think he is right:

Either the question is about the Android API, such as questions with sync adapter, layout, etc. Then it is not useful to have the Java tag because even a senior Java engineer would not be able to provide an answer

Or the question is purely about Java, such as something raising a NullPointerException, and in this case the Android tag is irrelevant.